About the only thing that comes to us without effort is old age. ~Gloria Pitzer

I may look like this most mornings, but I am so proud of the person I see in the mirror.
I've lost 9 pounds this year!

I know that doesn't sound like a huge amount to some, but I know the effort that has gone into losing every ounce of it. And when I add that to what I've accomplished already, I'm very pleased.

I think I've felt the loss of the last few pounds more than I have all the ones before. That happens sometimes. Lose 20 and you don't notice much change. Lose 2 more and all of a sudden you look thinner and your clothes start to hang. It's a crazy process.

At my age, I would love to look in the mirror and see the Kathy that didn't have sagging skin or wrinkles around the eyes. I love my silver hair, but sometimes I miss the shiny dark brown I had when I was 16...they don't put that color in a bottle!

But I sure love and respect the person I see. I've learned that you can't get anything worth getting in life without putting up a bit of a fight, and I'm proud of myself for making the decision to engage in this one.

Now on to March!!!

Losers quit when they're tired. Winners quit when they've won. ~Author Unknown

I am constantly seeking inspiration to keep me fired up. My own energy seems to flag at times if I don't keep it fueled up. What inspires each of us is a very personal matter. What inspires me may do nothing for you, so we each have to search for our own sources.

I love to be around positive people...their vibe gives me strength. And I love watching dedicated people go about their business. It is one of the reasons I love racing. So here's an example of how I am inspired by it.

I was one of the few who actually stuck out the long rain-delayed race from Fontana, California last weekend. It was pretty dreary and the fans and the drivers were all anxious to get the race underway. When they did start it, it was soon clear that the track was not ready...there was water seeping up from seams in the track and several cars were taken out in accidents as a result. One of the most heavily damaged cars was that of Dale Earnhardt, Junior.

After an awful season last year, Junior is with a new team, in a new car, and with new sponsors this year and has already won 2 of the pre-season races. There are very high hopes for him this year and being taken out early in only the second cup race of the year really hurts because valuable points are lost and they can mean the difference in winning a championship in these very competitive contests.

Now this is where the inspiration comes in. This team was upset...they were down...they could have lost their focus. But they didn't. This is what makes a winning team.

They repaired the car...major repairs. Junior got back in the car, got back on the track about 80 laps down, and continued the race. At this point, he was not going to win the race, but he could save some of their valuable points. When the end of the race neared, the experts in the booth predicted that Junior would leave the track because they had reached the point where there was nothing to be gained in point standings by him remaining on the track...but he didn't leave. He kept driving and finished the race even when there was no outward reward for doing so.

He stayed because he is a winner. He doesn't give up when the going gets tough. And, it is obvious, he loves what he does and is dedicated to completing what he begins even when there is no obvious payback for doing so.

His own father, Dale Earnhardt, Senior who won nearly every major event and title NASCAR had to offer, including seven championships, was dogged by the fact he had never won the Daytona 500. He went back year after year and the win eluded him until 1998 when after 20 attempts, his 575th Winston Cup start, he finally made it to Victory Lane in Daytona!

As he drove into Victory Lane, every crewmember from every team lined up to congratulate him as he drove by. It was one of the greatest and most inspiring stories in NASCAR history.

My own personal fav, Michael Waltrip won the 2001 Daytona 500 after 463 consecutive Cup races without a victory!

The moral of this story is that you can't achieve greatness unless you are willing to stick out the disappointments that you will inevitably meet along the way. When we look at successful people we often tend to think that they are lucky or live charmed lives, but if we dig a little deeper, we find that luck had little to do with it.

To win, you have to stay in the race. You can't park the car after a spin-out. You can't stop trying because conditions seem to be against you. You only win if you are willing to stay on the track and keep your eye on the finish line!

Success isn't a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire. ~Arnold H. Glasow

What sets you on fire? What gives you the determination to say, "This time is going to be different!", and then follow that declaration with action? What gives you the strength to keep trying day after day in spite of occasional set-backs?

I think sometimes we think that something magical is going to happen tomorrow to make this easier. Something is going to be so different tomorrow that we will be able to pass up that tempting morsel that we succumbed to today.

Maybe tomorrow I will wake up and I won't like pizza anymore. Or maybe my metabolism will suddenly change and I will be naturally thin no matter what I eat.

Or maybe tomorrow there will be no stress in my life, no cookies in the break room, no Holiday or celebration to deal with.

I can't convince myself that I'm worth the time it takes to prepare a healthy meal today, but I'll feel differently tomorrow.

And so it goes.

I can speak to this because I put dealing with my weight problem off for most of my life. I gave into those hopes that tomorrow would be different...but it never was. All tomorrow ever brought was one more day of my life lost to my own inaction and even more weight to deal with.

The answer never came from without...it had to come from inside me. The fire that had to be lit had to be started by me...not my husband, a doctor, or a diet book.

When I finally had my back against the wall and realized that there would be no tomorrow to save me and the only way I could deal with the problem was to begin NOW, the flame appeared.

If we are to succeed, we have to be the source of the fire...we have to want this so badly that we face every day as it comes and every encounter with food with our goals in mind.

We will not be perfect...that is not an obtainable goal. But if we keep the fire lit within us, we will CARE every day. We will TRY every day.


Fellow weight loss blogger, Lora of Less of Me will appear on Oprah tomorrow...be sure and watch!

If junk food is the devil, then a sweet orange is as scripture. ~Audrey Foris

Oranges have been at the top of my fruit list for several weeks now. Nature has been good to us. Look at all the foods that are perfect as they come...unadorned...raw...just a bite away from nourishing us.

My favorite raw foods? Tomatoes! Come on tomato season!

Watermelon! Cantaloupe! Apples! Sweet radishes! Strawberries! Apples! Bananas! Cucumbers!

Do you ever get the seed catalogues in the mail? We've had a couple recently and they make you want to drool. I just wish you could order the food they show in the pictures from them and bypass that planting and weeding stuff!

During the time I've been struggling to eat better, I have gone through several "favorite" snacks...the ones you really look forward to having every day for weeks at a time. My current one is really good.

I've discovered Wasa Multigrain Crisps. I've tried Wasa in the past, but it was the rye variety and they just didn't do any thing for me. But the multigrains are really good, full of fiber and only 45 calories each. I spread a tablespoon of fat-free cream cheese on them and then banana slices topped with a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds. Love, love, love it...like a nice dessert or cookie! With a nice cup of hot tea, I really feel satisfied and more importantly, comforted.

And my favorite breakfast for the time being, is oat bran. If you've never tried it, it is similar to cream of wheat in texture, but creamier. It could easily be called Cream of Oats! I used to buy it and cook with it. It makes great low-fat muffins and is good in meat loaf. But now that I finally got around to having it as a cooked cereal, I could kick myself for never serving it that way before.

My first box was the Quaker brand and it was really good, but the one I'm using now is from Hodgson's Mill and I like it even better. It is grainier and seems more filling. Both are really quick to cook...a real plus.

Have you tried anything new lately? What is your fav food at the moment? Let me hear from you.

And here's my cheerleader moment for the day: JUST DO IT TODAY...NO EXCUSES!
We all know how empowered we feel after a full day of eating according to plan. It is a boost that you can't buy! It's like taking a heavy weight off your shoulders and taking a deep breath of fresh air. It is totally worth "white-knuckleing" it for a day, because that second and third day just fall into line once you get back on track.

Make a big pot of vegetable soup...cut up some fresh vegetables and fruits. Plan out a great supper of your favorite grilled meat or fish and some steamed veggies. Add a nice evening snack. And go to bed proud of yourself today!

HOW ABOUT A REVIVAL TODAY?

Isn't it great that we get a chance to start anew every morning? We can take a deep breath and face the world with renewed vigor and hope. And Monday mornings are even better...you can wash away the disappointment of the past week!

We all blunder from time to time...it is the continued effort that will sustain us and help us reach our goals.

So if you have been feeling unmotivated and bogged down by the enormity of your journey, cast that off this morning! You are as strong as you want to be! You are capable of great things. And you have friends who care about you and want you to succeed!

So cast aside the absurdities of yesterday and begin today with renewed resolve and high spirits. It's only food...and we are much stronger than that!

EXTEND A HAND

I don't know if the plague is beginning to depart my body or if I finally have enough medicine in me to mask it, but I am starting to feel a little better. I wish I could hold on to this lack of appetite I'm experiencing just a little while longer! Wouldn't that be great!

Is it me or is there a scarcity of posting out here in blogland? It didn't take me long to catch up on my reading. It's hard for me to be a cheerleader right now...don't have the oomph to do it... but I think we need to go down our lists of links and maybe send a little shout-out to anyone on the list who hasn't posted for a while. A little note of encouragement from a friend may just be the nudge someone needs. It's easy to feel no one cares...and we all know we do. We're in this together and one of the most powerful tools at our disposal is keeping in touch with each other and leaving comments. A well timed "I feel your pain" or "Congratulations on the weight loss" can really help.

Now, back to my cup of tea and the Pre-race Show!!!

JUST A NOTE...

Thanks for all the good wishes...I really appreciate them. This is Day Four of the "Bug That Took Kathy Down" and I suppose it will move on eventually.

In the mean time, I am drinking anything I can get my hands on as long as it is very cold or very hot! You really have to fight dehydration with these things and, thank goodness, I am blessed with feeling thirsty, so forcing fluids is easy. Mouth breathing really dries you out!

I always make it a habit to eat intuitively when I am sick, so no "point" counting or "Core list" concerns for the time being. If it's handy, easy to eat, and has enough flavor that I can actually make out the taste, I'm eating it. For some odd reason, I can't stand the sight of vegetables right now...I don't know what that's about.

So, I'm taking it easy over the weekend, making Hubby run and fetch for me, and maybe Monday will be better. My attention span is pretty short so I'll catch up on reading blogs later.

I miss you all and hope you have a great weekend!

OH, PLEASE!!!

MAYBE LATER...

When an illness knocks you on your ass, you should stay down and relax for a while before trying to get back up. ~Candea Core-Starke

YES WE CAN!

JUST KEEP PUTTING ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER

AND YOU WILL EVENTUALLY REACH YOUR DESTINATION!

I'M A PEPPER...SHE'S A PEPPER...WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO BE A PEPPER TOO?

So this is who I am? Hmmm...I think I would like to be cinnamon or nutmeg!

You Are Black Pepper

You may be considered ordinary by some, but you're far from boring. You elevate the mood of any discussion, and people miss you when you're not around. You are secretly very dominant and powerful. Most can only take you in small doses.

What Spice Are You?

I agree that I would probably surprise some people who think they know everything there is to know about me. I know my political views are far from what is expected of someone in my demographic...even my younger daughter was surprised by that. She has also been astonished at times by music and fads I'm familiar with.

I don't agree with the second statement...I'm a listener and I doubt if anyone even notices when I leave a room...except, maybe, the dog!

And the third...well, I do have a certain degree of "self-confidence", shall we say? And I have no idea why everyone doesn't just agree with me...it would be so much easier! Which is why the final statement is probably the truest statement of all!!!

I have just discovered avocados! I have eaten them at Mexican restaurants, but never felt comfortable preparing them at home. They were kind of exotic for the midwest for a long time, but now they are even at Aldi's and I've begun experimenting with them since they are less expensive.

I chopped some to add to the top of a bowl of chili Sunday and then added some to a salad with vinegar and olive oil dressing last night for supper and I must say, I am smitten!

Of course, they were on the "Do Not Eat" list for years because of their fat content, but we now have the "green flag" to eat them since that fat is now considered "healthy"! They are even on the Core food list, so I am going to continue to look for ways to include them...in small doses...into my food plan. Any ideas from you long time avocado lovers???

Please say a little prayer for my little granddaughter, Morrigan Rose, who is having her tonsils and adenoids removed this morning! No surgery is small and her Mimi worries!

JOAN OF ARC ASIDE...

I love underdogs...but I'm not so fond of martyrs. And I really don't like it when I let myself step into that role. So, here's the scoop.

Saturday morning found us at Denny's since we had used all the milk and eggs in the house and the Husband decided it was a good idea to go there before heading to the grocery store. I love my breakfast from home more, but I gave a nod to the plan cause I knew he was really wanting a few bites of a pancake and I wasn't going to stand in his way. My usual from Denny's is a Senior Citizen meal that is reasonable in price and gives me an egg, a piece of ham, and some fresh fruit...not so bad for a restaurant breakfast.

But Saturday morning it was "Buy One, Get One Free" on one of their insane Slams...I don't know one from the other except they have one thing in common...too much food! But Hubby is a sucker for a bargain and looked like a kid in a candy shop when he turned to me and extolled the virtues of getting an entire "free" meal! And there I was, not wanting to disappoint, saying "Sure", and then turning to the waitress to see what we were actually ordering. It wasn't good news...2 eggs, bacon and sausage links, and two big pancakes!

I did try to make an end run past this impending disaster by asking if I could have ham instead, but I was defeated in the attempt by the "No substitution!" rule. Darn!!!

So, she goes off to get a big plate of food that I had no intentions of eating and I sat there silent, stewing, fuming, resentful and playing the martyr act for all it was worth. Now, I have to add that this means nothing to my husband, who for over 38 years has always been oblivious to my martyrdom! It just does not phase him...which is for the good, because it it did, I would play that card much more often!

So, I end up picking at a couple of dry, scrambled eggs and boxing the rest for the dog...who needs it as much as I do, by the way!

And this episode infected my mood for the rest of the day. Lunch was lousy...Hubby found he had lost his ATM card (the bank had it...but you want to feel sick to your stomach...just imagine someone gleefully playing with your money!), and by the time supper rolled around, my instincts were to eat away all the bad feelings and tensions of the day! I didn't...thank goodness we have pretty much stripped the house of anything you could do a lot of harm with!

But by yesterday, I had given the whole situation some thought, and I began to see that the whole breakfast thing was my own fault. My husband is a reasonable man and he would have listened to my argument as to why the "free" meal was not the best choice for us. My decision to blow off any discussion and just "settle" was just that...MY decision. And it was not a good one!

Sometimes, we have to make the decision that what is best for us IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR!
We frequently allow our own needs to be set aside to "please" someone else who really doesn't expect or want us to do so. They love us and want us to be happy...we shouldn't put them in that position.

I find myself "making do" in the name of "thrift" quite often. I sat here this morning in a knit top that I hate...it doesn't FEEL RIGHT when I wear it. The neck is too big and I'm constantly having to rearrange it. I never have liked it and I am miserable every time I put it on...but I still wore it. And it wasn't like it was in great condition...it had some kind of stain on the front! Geesh! It's now in the trash...a triumph, of sorts.

We all do it. We make those small "sacrifices" that, in the end, start to weigh us down. We finish our kid's meals instead of making ourselves a nice lunch. We claim we have no time for going to the gym, but we drive the kids to every practice and game or event that is offered. We buy "treats" that we know will drive us mad with wanting to eat them because the kids like them.

Maybe we should look at our needs and our goals and see if they are worth fighting for, and maybe then, we can start chipping away at some of the obstacles that are standing between us and what we value the most.

COULD I HEAR A "BOOGITY...BOOGITY...BOOGITY?"

So far, February has been a good month as eating goes. I finally "created" a corn muffin recipe that both Hubby and I agree is both healthy and tastes good. I'll post it on the recipe blog today. We've both settled into a pattern of eating and a rotation of meals that suits us...and that is a good thing.

Most of the time, we eat the same things at our evening meal, but there are times when I make a meat-and-potato meal for him and choose a salad with grilled chicken breast or a bowl of beans and a corn muffin from the stash in the freezer for myself. He doesn't go for leftovers much so I am usually the one who eats the spaghetti from supper for lunch the next day...one of my favorite things to do, by the way! So, we are feeling good and confident with our choices. His blood sugar is still coming down and he is able to decrease his insulin dose pretty steadily...a great reward for a change in eating habits!

One of his favorite snacks to keep at work these days is sardines packed in mustard sauce. Quite an improvement over the fig newtons he used to keep! And he says the great thing is that no one steals them from his snack drawer like they did the cookies and candy!

Have you noticed that the sun is coming up earlier and the days are getting longer? Just the promise of Spring is making me feel rejuvenated! I can't wait to spend more time outside and getting some fresh air into my lungs! Cabin fever has finally set in.

Thinking of Spring always brings to mind the change Spring will bring to the food in the markets. We should be seeing asparagus and rhubarb soon...two of my favorites! They were among the first foods we saw in the spring on the farm and Mom always took advantage of their emergence in the kitchen...so I have pleasant memories of Spring.

Just as we tire of being cooped up, I think we begin to tire of the heavier foods we lean toward in colder months and yearn for the lighter salads, berries, and fresh vegetables of the warmer months.

But until the days are warmer, I still have a few bowls of chili to eat and enjoy. In fact, chili will probably be on the menu this weekend, because...ta...da! This is the weekend I have been dreaming of since last November! The Daytona 500 with all three of my guys in the race...yahoo...and my favorite announcers in the booth...boogity, boogity, boogity!...is this Sunday! What an exciting season it is going to be!

I think most of NASCAR...except, maybe, DEI...are excited for Junior and the fact he already has two victories this season. Once I get it straight who is driving what number this year...I keep "losing" Kyle in that new car...I am going to enjoy myself to the hilt!

So, have a good weekend yourselves, and if you don't have anything better to do this Sunday afternoon, you just might want to spend a little time watching, at least, the opening ceremonies for the race. The "Star Spangled Banner" and the fly-overs always give me goosebumps! And if you stick around long enough, you might find yourself cheering for someone...who knows???

btw...have you seen the trailer for the new "Indiana Jones"? Indy's coming back and I gotta see it!

FEEL THE LOVE!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

I remember working at the hospital one Valentine's Day when a florist delivered six dozen long-stemmed red roses to one of the nurses...one dozen for each year she and her husband had been together. Everyone was impressed with the extravagance of the gift! She must be really loved!

But I went home remembering all the times my husband had come to me with a violet he saw while mowing grass or a little group of wildflowers he had found in the field while walking the dog. And I knew that those little spontaneous gifts meant that I was on his mind anytime he saw something beautiful while he was going about the mundane activities of his day! What a wonderful gift!

FACE IT

I read it every day...and I've done it so many times myself..."I totally blew it yesterday! I didn't even bother to journal it, it was so bad!" (Yes...you know who you are!)

Do we think that journaling is only a way of documenting the "good" days, like putting a star on the calendar?

Do we think that there is nothing worth putting pen to paper for when we choose to eat a little too much?

As a nurse, I learned that documentation and charting of any outcome...good or bad...had value. Keeping a record of events allowed the staff and physicians the opportunity to study what had been reported, analyze the data, and determine if the patient was responding positively to treatment. If there was negative data, then there would be a determination that a change in treatment might be necessary. But without the input of documentation of events, there was no opportunity to do that.

So, I am sorely aware of the value of "charting", in journal form, what I have eaten, whether or not I consider the food "good" or "bad". But that doesn't make it any easier to write down every scrap of food that crosses my lips during a full blown attack of the "eats".

Just when I might be able to learn the most from what I'm writing down, I am the most hesitant to make a record of my meltdown. I'm embarrassed, disheartened, and seeking a way of denying it ever happened.

But if we can move past those feelings and just keep writing it down, we may discover a pattern of making poor food choices forming. Is it when we are alone, angry, or tired...or when certain people are around...or when we've skipped a meal...or eaten certain foods earlier in the day?

Sometimes we may discover that what we ate wasn't all that "bad" after all...or, just the act of forcing oneself to write it down and face what we're eating could bring us back to reality and stop the food frenzy in its tracks.

I'm going to make a promise to myself to always write it down, whether I want to or not.

FROM REVOLUTION TO EVOLUTION

I began this venture with my eating pattern in total disarray. My eating plan for the day consisted of whatever was in the refrigerator and pantry and whatever restaurant we went to that day. We did a lot of eating out and enjoyed it. The only portion guideline I used was to eat until the food was gone or I was stuffed and unable to eat more. The quality of the food I was eating was judged by taste only. And eating in that manner had gotten me to a very sorry state of health.

So when I walked into Weight Watchers in December of '05, my pattern of eating needed a pretty drastic overhaul. In order to follow the Flex plan, I had to reign in the amount I ate of certain foods and, to some degree, improve the quality of the food. In the condition I was in, that required a small revolution in my eating habits. I was no longer eating willy-nilly...I was weighing and portioning foods, adding a few more vegetables, and increasing the fiber content of the foods I ate by either choosing higher-fiber versions of foods I already ate or by adding bran cereal to baked goods. I also cut butter from my diet, which I seriously needed to do.

What I didn't do was eat fruit or dairy. I wanted to "save" my points for high-fiber bagels and muffins. At that point, that was all I was willing and able to change. It was already a drastic improvement over what I had been eating and I was quite happy with the plan and the results...I was losing weight and I was enjoying what I was eating.

I did that for about a year and a half before I realized that my weight loss was slowing way down and I was becoming painfully aware that, though I had lost weight, my food plan was still full of processed foods and I was not taking in the fresh fruit and dairy that my body needed. The evolution of my eating plan had begun.

I swore I would never be able to do Core...I used to laughingly refer to the people on the WW boards who followed the plan as the "Hard Core" Weight Watchers! I thought they were kind of "preachy" in their haughty comments about empty calories and 100 calorie packs. I have to say I didn't like them much.

So, it was a huge step for me to dive into the deep end of the pool and see if I could swim. And surprise...surprise...I actually liked it. I guess I was just ready to move to the next rung on the evolutionary ladder in my eating plan. I was finally free to eat an apple, an orange, or a banana without worrying about points. I drank milk for the first time in a long time. I put the olive oil back on my salad. And the move to having oatmeal for breakfast instead of the artificially high-fiber English muffin was enjoyable. Switching over to the whole-wheat pastas was painless and I enjoyed trying other whole grains. And working from this more "basic" food list has allowed me to gradually move toward a more "natural" food list.

Each step seems to lead to the next, and now I am exploring alternatives to the artificial sweeteners I have relied on so heavily. This process began back during the holidays when I started getting severe headaches on an almost daily basis. I wondered then if they were a result of the sugar I was taking in with some holiday treats, but they continued even after I stopped the sugar binge and I decided to experiment with switching from the Splenda I had been using a great deal of to the Equal and saccharine packets again. The headaches stopped. I tried adding back the Splenda and the headaches returned.

I've learned through the process of elimination that my body seems to handle a small amount of any of these artificial sweeteners well, but I get adverse effects when I increase their use. So, I have already been cutting way back on the amounts of all those artificial sweeteners...a step I wanted to take anyway in response to Michael Pollan's article.

And yesterday's news of the research they've been conducting at Purdue University...a fine Indiana school!...that seems to indicate that the use of artificial sweeteners actually causes you to gain more weight and adipose tissue than just ingesting higher-calorie sugar products, has led me to decide to kick this habit completely. Another step in the evolution.

I had already been adding unsweetened applesauce and bananas to hot cereals and yogurt to give them a little natural sweetness without the addition of other sweetening agents. I've also been adding very small drizzles of honey on the top of foods so the taste is concentrated and I don't have to add as much to get a little sweet finish to what I'm eating.

I've also been using a very small amount of brown sugar...perhaps a tablespoon for an entire recipe of cornbread...for the flavor it imparts along with the little bit of sweetness.

We're not returning to the sugar bowl or sugar sweetened soft drinks, but I will be adding judicious amounts of natural sweeteners to my recipes in the future rather than relying on the artificial ones.

Heidi Swanson offered this list of natural sweeteners in her book I've been reading and I'm going to explore them in the future:

• Agave nectar-she describes it as being similar to honey in appearance with the added distinction of being low on the glycemic index...good for diabetics.
• Black Strap Molasses-I keep this already and will be using it on occasion...a little goes a long way because of its distinctive flavor.
• Brown Rice Syrup-it is made by cooking sprouted brown rice in water that is then evaporated. It is thick and golden colored like other syrups but not as sweet.
• Maple Syrup and Maple Sugar-flavorful and a little goes a long way...Hubby will be happy to return to small amounts of the real thing rather than larger amounts of the artificially sweetened stuff.
• Date Sugar-again for flavor...and maybe a date finely diced
• Natural Cane Sugars-not a perfect solution but improvements over the white table sugar we are using now...I love Turbinado and Demerara!

Again, my main goals at this stage are to reduce my dependence on artificial and natural sweeteners by reducing my "taste" for artificially sweet foods. My first option when I want something sweet will continue to be fresh fruits, followed by drastically reduced amounts of natural sweeteners, and finally, rarely, artificial sweeteners.

And as the evolution of my plan continues, who knows, the next step may be total freedom from artificial sweeteners!

HAVE YOU FOUND YOUR "JOY"?

I know that I run the risk of looking like a crazed ninny when I excitedly post about my favorite driver. And I'm sure there are those among you who think...what does that have to do with losing weight?

Well...I'll tell you.

My belief is that my overall health is affected by many factors including stress. I think we're all aware of the studies done in recent years on the adverse effects stress has on your body, including heart disease, digestive disorders, and even cancer.

But for most of us traveling this road, the most obvious effect of facing stress is overeating...it sends many of us straight to the refrigerator or pantry. And we're not looking for apples or lettuce when we're suffering from stress. Stress demands foods such as chocolate, pastry, or ice cream.

Eating those foods releases hormones that cause our muscles to relax, or heart to beat more slowly, our respirations to decrease. Eating those foods is like getting that big hug from your Mom when you were a kid...remember that? That feeling of comfort and safety and "everything will be alright"!

We can try to avoid stress. That makes sense...but we can't avoid stress altogether...it has a way of finding us. So the sensible thing to do is find other ways of dealing with it and there are whole books written on that subject. My feeling is that I need to find what works for me.

1. HAVING A GOOD CRY. Yes, it works! Look at this:

At the St Paul Ramsey Medical Center in Minnesota, tears caused by simple irritants were compared to those brought on by emotion. Researcher William Frey found that stress-induced tears actually remove toxic ‘substances’ from the body. Volunteers were led to cry first from watching sad movies, and then from freshly cut onions. The researchers found that the tears from the movies, called emotional tears, contained far more toxic biological byproducts. Weeping, they concluded, is an excretory process which removes toxic substances that normally build up during emotional stress.
The simple act of crying also reduces the body’s manganese level, a mineral which affects mood and is found in up to 30 times greater concentration in tears than in blood serum. They also found that emotional tears contain 24 per cent higher albumin protein concentration than tears caused by eye irritants.
The researchers concluded that chemicals built up by the body during stress were removed by tears, which actually lowered stress. These include the endorphin leucine-enkephalin, which helps to control pain, and prolactin, a hormone which regulates milk production in mammals.They found that one of the most important of those compounds which removed tears was adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), one of the best indicators of stress. Suppressing tears increases stress levels, and contributes to diseases aggravated by stress, such as high blood pressure, heart problems and peptic ulcers.

I feel so much better after a crying session...like a big wave has washed over me and my worries and pain have washed away with the tears.

2. STEPPING AWAY. I know in this Jerry Springer era we feel that we have to carry every encounter to its extreme. We have to fight the fight...get into the face of someone who has offended us...make sure that our view is made known. But then you have to face the consequences of those "fighting words". I've found that removing myself from a stressful situation, when possible, is the best decision I can make and the act of stepping away is sometimes all I need to free myself of the stress.

3.JUST FACE IT AND GET IT BEHIND YOU. When I can't avoid stress, sometimes I just turn around and face it head on. A lot of stress is caused by inaction. There are times when I have put something off...like figuring the taxes or facing someone I've hurt...and forcing myself to do what has to be done is all it takes to free myself of the stress related to procrastination.

4. STEP OUTSIDE YOURSELF. I sometimes fall for the attitude that it is all about me and my problems and the stress starts to build. Opening the door to sharing someone else's feelings is a great way to make yourself feel better. My nursing career was so beneficial in this regard. I always came home feeling fortunate and confident that I could certainly conquer anything that I had to deal with after seeing others deal with serious health problems that were sometimes totally out of their control. It forced me to put my problems into perspective. When I took the attitude that I was capable of conquering anything I had to face, the stress that accompanied the problems went away too.

5. EXPERIENCE JOY. When I began this journey toward better health, I vowed that I would work to not only lower my weight, but to also enjoy my life again. I promised myself that I would seek joy. When I'm with my grandkids, I make a conscious effort to see them and experience them completely. I listen to their words, appreciate them as individuals, and try to connect with them on their terms. I seek the acquaintance of positive thinkers. They make me feel good and I find myself emulating their positive qualities. And I seek out fun! I love whimsy and surround myself with whimsical little pigs tucked in here and there around the house.

And here is where my NASCAR experience enters the equation. Having something to celebrate is such an "upper". When you are a sports fan it takes you outside yourself. You experience the highs and lows...the crushing defeats...the exhilarating wins! You can plug your own feelings into the sports "hero" and share the emotions they feel as they go through their career. It's like being on a rollercoaster...you experience the wild ride, but you're safe and sound. I get to "experience" the thrill of racing through my "hero" without having to be upside down in a car as it careens wildly after a crash.

And, for me, following this guy's career and watching the races brings me joy...joy that has to be shared...joy that brings a total relief from stress...and stress-related eating.

For me, it is NASCAR!, but we all need to find our JOY!

ASK ME IF I HAD A GOOD DAY!!!

WALTRIP GRABS FRONT ROW START FOR 50TH DAYTONA 500

!!!WOO...HOO!!!

THE POWER OF BLOGS

Do you think you influence anyone with your blog? Or do you think what you have to say about your daily experiences with weight loss and healthier eating don't matter? Do you think your opinion is meaningless? Or your rants fall on deaf ears?

There are lots of blogs out there with huge readerships and their opinions probably sway a large number of people. I know this because they influence me. When a blogger I respect tells me about a product they've tried and liked, I'm more apt to try it.

If they try a recipe and rave about it, post pictures of it, and say their families liked it, then I am going to try that recipe.

But what about those of us with small readerships...are we making any impression?

Let me give this example: I had a problem with a product that I had received from a local vendor one day. I took pictures of the inferior product, included them in an e-mail to them, along with a note that I was sure a fine company such as theres would want to be aware of the product that I had received and research who had been responsible for representing them so poorly.

Then I sat back and figured I would get an e-mail with an apology and a promise of a replacement...eventually.

About 10 minutes later the phone rang and it was the owner of the company! He apologized, promised to look into it, and assured me that a replacement was on the way. I was quite impressed with the personal touch and mentioned it to my younger daughter...the media guru.

She laughed and said, "Mom...you have the address of your blog on your outgoing e-mails. That might have influenced the response you got!"

Hmmm! I had never considered that...and I'm not sure it is true that it did in this case, but it did give me pause for thought. I do have a voice...however small, as long as I have a blog. I've found I have a few local people who read but don't comment often. I suppose if I went on here and complained about poor service from a local company, the word could spread...just as word of mouth can be a much more powerful tool in determining a company's future than all the advertising they can do.

I was reminded of this as I read Happy Blog Chick's entry this morning. She was commenting on the lack of nutritional information at Barbecue Wild Wings and the less than satisfactory lighter menu items they offered to people who wanted to visit the restaurant and enjoy themselves but not partake of the wings. It was such a convenient place for she and her friends to meet that she didn't want to boycott them but wanted to be able to choose something a little tastier than a plain chicken breast cooked early in the day and microwaved when she ordered it!

It made me think of the "power of the blog" again. She was only one customer, but she knows a lot of people, and they know people, and word of mouth will spread the fact that BWW is not a desirable place for people who are interested in healthy choices to eat.

And, because she has a blog, there are also quite a few of us in scattered parts of the country who know of her experience as well. And we all talk to our friends and family...and other bloggers! Do you think these restaurants realize that when they offer a less than satisfactory dining experience to one of us that no one else will know?

I have begun offering my suggestions about things I'd like to see on the menu...in a friendly manner...to restaurants where I dine. It's not that hard for a restaurant who already offers grilled chicken sandwiches to offer a chicken gyro as an alternative to their regular version with the standard meat choice.

They will offer whole grain bread as an alternative if enough people ask for it. They will eventually replace the "diet plate" of grilled hamburger steak, cottage cheese, and tomato slices when they get the message that people seeking a healthier menu choice today might appreciate a steamed vegetable platter instead. Or a baked sweet potato as an alternative to the white one. Or a choice of a fresh fruit instead of fries or a piece of pie.

But they're not going to do it unless we voice our opinion. I always remind them that I have "friends" who are also interested in eating better and promise to spread the word to all of them if they incorporate changes that we deem important to us.

They just may not be aware of how large our circle of friends might be...thanks to our blogs!

HERE COMES THE WEEKEND!

I've got to get in my closet and sort out the clothes that are too big and too old to fuss with trying to adjust them. And then there are the clothes I've shoved to the back because they were too small. I decided to try on a pair of pants that I bought on sale last summer knowing they were a smaller size and I would get into them someday. I almost waited too long! I'm wearing them now!

As I buy new pants, I avoid the stretchy knit ones that I had always worn before. I need clothes with accountability built into them. When you feel your clothes feeling tight after a few too many treats and celebrations, it becomes a call to action. Knits don't sound alarms! But I sure miss those elastic waists every time I have to deal with fiddly waist fastenings!

I have so many fun things to do this weekend! Speed week is underway in Daytona and there's lots of coverage on television. I watched the drawing for starting positions in the Shootout last night...Mikey got 3rd...and it was so much fun to see everyone after almost three months. It was kinda like the first day of school when you saw your classmates again after a long summer. Some had a lot more hair...some had gained weight...some had lost! And it seems they are all in new rides with new numbers and new teams! It will take some time to adjust.

Nurse Lara and I are going to do some shopping for the wedding Saturday. March is growing closer! We finally have the menu finalized...that did some doing...and we're putting the finishing touches on the plans. Audrey is so excited about her "beautiful" dress!

I checked Heidi Swanson's book, "Super Natural Cooking", from the library and I can't wait to peruse it. It is divided into five sections which cover ways to incorporate whole and natural ingredients into your meals:

• 1. Build a natural foods pantry.
• 2. Explore a wide range of grains.
• 3. Cook by color.
• 4. Know your superfoods.
• 5. Use natural sweeteners.

These are some of the recipes:

• 1. Biscuits made with whole wheat and amaranth flour with a variety of seeds on top.
• 2. Spinach fettuccine with asparagus, baby spinach, garlic, and lemon pureed with olive oil and Parmesan.
• 3. Sushi bowl with toasted nori, avocado, and brown rice.
• 4. Spiced caramel corn made with brown rice syrup and maple syrup to sweeten and spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, chili powder, and sea salt...a little of this would pack a punch...wouldn't it? I'm thinking Christmas treats!
• 5. Animal crackers cut from wonton wrappers and topped with a mixture of natural cane sugar, ginger, and mixed seeds...so cute!

And I am mighty distracted by my knitting on this sweater. The photo is of the back panel. I'm doing mine in gray and am about half way up the back. It is so much fun with the lace panel breaking up any monotony that usually creeps into sweater knitting.

I hope everyone has a great weekend filled with fun activities, new adventures, and love from friends and family.

PS...I just went to get an orange for my morning snack and as I reached in the fridge, I started to get 2...they are healthy, you know! But, then I thought...you know, if you continue to take double portions, you will always be eating the amount that two people should be eating...and weighing what two people should weigh! So, I took one and decided if I was still hungry, I would come back for the second one.
PSS...I didn't need or want the second one! Lesson learned!

NASCAR*NASCAR*NASCAR*NASCAR*NASCAR*NASCAR*NASCAR

You think the political primary season is complicated? Well the procedure for getting into the Daytona 500 is notoriously convoluted!
Unless you have Mikey to explain it to you:

"If you're passing cars, that's good.
If cars are passing you, that's bad.
If you're at home on Sunday when you're supposed to be at the racetrack,
that's really bad!"

BENTO

DOESN'T THIS LOOK APPETIZING?

I've been looking at sites that feature bento for a few days. If you haven't heard of bento, just remember Molly Ringwald's lunch in "The Breakfast Club".

There are many different forms of the Japanese bento these days ranging from the traditional formal meals served in lacquered boxes to boxed meals sold in train stations to Japanese travelers. Here in America they take the form of packaged "Lunchables".

There are numerous blog sites featuring bento meals that are elaborately decorated and made to encourage children to eat their lunches or as simple as the one above that some women are using as a means to lose weight. What they all have in common is that they are balanced, made up of small portions of nutritious foods, and prepared to be attractive and appetizing.

They are also encouraged by the green movement because they feature reusable containers rather than plastic bags and pre-packaged items.

My interest was sparked by the balance of carbohydrate, protein, and what they refer to as extras. The traditional ratio was 4 parts rice, 2 parts protein, and 1 extra. The more modern versions are 1 part rice or starch, 1 part protein, and the remainder of the meal left to fruits, vegetables, and usually a little treat such as a sweet tidbit to feed the "spirit".

I also liked the idea of making nutritious foods as attractive as possible so I've tried to incorporate some of the decorative ideas from bento into our meals. I had this snack last weekend...salsa with "scoops" made of multi-colored carrots cut on the diagonal.

And these carrot flowers went into a salad I made for dinner...so pretty when contrasted with the purple and green of the leaf lettuce.

Kids love seeing vegetables cut in shapes like this.

If you'd like to check out some of the bento sites:

Lap Top Lunches

Just Bento

Cooking Cute

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THERE ARE ONLY TWO SEASONS
WINTER AND NASCAR!

THEY'RE BACK!!!

Saturday, 8pm, Fox
(Yes...Mikey is in the field!!!)

MY PERSONAL GOALS

I mentioned yesterday that I didn't want someone else to set my goals for me...so what are my personal goals in this endeavor?

WEIGHT GOAL:
The simple answer is...I don't know what the number will be. But I know I will recognize it when I reach it. I don't think there is a magical number that, when reached, will turn me into Cinderella at the ball and everything will be wonderful.

MY REAL GOALS:
Roni asked in her post today, "Why do you want to lose weight?". My answer was that I was afraid I would die soon if I didn't. It wasn't a number on the scale that led me to seek answers to my weight problem, but the fact that just getting through a normal day was a monumental chore just because I was carrying around way too much weight. And I was totally scared that I would not be able to gain any kind of control of the problem and turn things around.

I was no longer "pre-diabetic"...I had stepped over that line and was officially diabetic with my blood sugar gradually going from 130 to 160 and verging on 180 even though I was taking the maximum oral dose of every medicine available.

I was taking the maximum dose of medications available to me for hypertension, gastric reflux, and high cholesterol and triglycerides. I was on medication for PVC's...a heart arrhythmia that can be fatal. I was taking the maximum amount of pain medication for my painful knees. And I was suffering from sleep apnea and having asthmatic symptoms.

To make a long story short...I was miserable...and I was dying! I didn't need a number on the scales to tell me that.

So, my initial weight loss goal was to save my life!

About the time I'd lost the first 50 pounds, I was free of most of those medications, I was breathing well, and I was beginning to feel hopeful again for the first time in years. I didn't need a number on the scales to tell me that either.

Moving forward, my goals have changed and the weight I have continued to lose has freed me to dream of not just life, but a better life!

Today I want to reach a weight where I can buy clothes without having to worry about what store I am in. I want to go anywhere and do anything without having to factor in whether or not my weight will prevent me from doing so. I want to run a healthy household that will lead me and my husband to a more enjoyable lifestyle. I want to enjoy food...not fear it and consider it the enemy. I want to like who I see in the mirror. I want to be an inspiration to my kids and grandkids.

No number on the scale will tell me when I have achieved those goals. It will be a recognition in me that I am happy where I am, that my food intake and activity level are comfortable enough that I can maintain the weight I have reached for a lifetime, and I will be and feel healthy.

VERDICT? NOT SO MUCH!

I hate admitting defeat. I'm from pioneer stock on both sides of my family. We are not quitters.

But let it be known across this nation and Canada and South Africa...wherever you dear readers are from...I admit, though there is much of February left before us...I am passing the "Try Tofu" torch on to anyone who wants it. I am admitting here and now...I don't love Tofu!

I forgive myself for it. You don't have to love every thing you try. And I did try.

I added it to soup, which was ok...but I kept thinking the whole time I was eating it that I wish I hadn't!

I made the artichoke dip which was ok...but I kept thinking the whole time I was eating it that I wish I had just had salsa or bean dip!

I added some chunks to a stir-fry...but I kept picking those pieces out and eating the veggies instead.

I feel like Audrey must feel when I keep assuring her that if she keeps trying them, eventually she will wake up one morning and realize she loves peas!

Now the shredded soy cheese I bought at the same time is a winner in my eyes. It melts. And I have found it to be quite tasty on the eggplant Parmesan I used it on yesterday. And no WPA's, either!

I didn't want to give up too easily...so I Googled, "Why Tofu?" this morning, and I ran across this great site and a spoof on "Tofu Hunting"...so, between this new read and the soy cheese, I guess this hasn't been a total loss.

I wonder if dogs like tofu???

WEIGHING IN ON WW

I've addressed the question before as to whether or not I am a "Weight Watcher" and my answer was, "Not so much!"...and here is why.

The organization has done a lot of very positive things over the past 40 years or so to promote healthy weight loss. I have always respected them for their willingness to grow and incorporate the newest research about nutrition and weight loss into their program. As a health professional, I always trusted them to have a healthy approach to weight loss and it is the reason I usually turned to their program anytime I wanted to lose a few pounds.

It is the business side of the organization that has troubled me. I understand that they are a business and their ultimate goal is to make a profit. My only problem is that their need to ensure that they make money has sometimes gotten in the way of my progress.

I always felt that I would have loved the meetings and gone away from them inspired and recharged for another week if I had not been required to weigh-in on a weekly basis. Knowing my progress would be measured only by the numbers on a scale always demoralized me. The number was never beneficial to me. I could follow the plan perfectly all week and be so happy that I had my eating under control and was enjoying what I was eating...ready to whip this weight problem forever...go to the meeting ready to share that progress with other happy Weight Watchers and then face the scale! No loss...maybe up a fraction of a pound! There is no scolding or finger wagging from the person who weighs you in...no...it is worse...that attitude of "busy-ness" they quickly assume...the stony silence...or the ultimate question..."Have you been drinking your water???". It always made me feel like such a failure!

Gone would be my confidence in the plan...in myself...and in my ability to do anything about my problem.

If I had not weighed in, I would never have known that there had been that blip...that normal fluctuation in my weight. I would have gone on merrily doing what I needed to do and the weight would have come off...but I wasn't given the option of not weighing...even though I knew weighing less frequently was the right thing for me...because the profit making side of the organization needed me to weigh in so I would be required to be there on a weekly basis and pay my dues.

I know there is a need for us to have some way of measuring our progress and I understand the need for weighing and the fact that a lot of people are fine with weekly weigh-ins...I just wanted the option of saying I only wanted to weigh once a month!

The second problem I had with the business side of the company was the fact that they decided what my ultimate weight goal should be. Again, I wanted to decide that. It is a personal decision that only I should be making. But because the business doesn't want their "success stories" and "lifetimers" weighing 199 pounds!!!, they get to decide when I have lost enough. I don't want a company to decide when I have been successful in reaching MY goal.

And since I have moved to the Core program, I've noticed blatant examples of WW bending over backwards to include their own products into the program while leaving off quite healthy foods such as tomato juice and flavored sugar-free fat-free yogurt. GRRR!!! And there has been more than one suggestion that they don't promote the Core program because they would not be selling as many of their own products if more people followed it!

I'm ornery...these are my personal views...and I know not everyone agrees with me. But this is why I have chosen...after a full year of attending meetings and a second one of following the plan on-line...to go it alone in my third year. I appreciate the program...I've incorporated their plan into my plan...but I am not a WEIGHT WATCHER.

YES WE CAN!

THIS IS FOR MY GRANDKIDS!!!

WATCH THIS:

YES WE CAN!

GIVE ME SOME COMFORT

Three things that made me happy yesterday:

1. Seeing Michelle Obama speak...I had to go to C-SPAN to find it, but I was so impressed by her. There is the answer to the "Dream Team"!!!
2. Seeing the Giants fight their way to a Superbowl win! I love seeing the underdog work hard and come out victorious!
3. Seeing the ads for Daytona during the Bowl game! I even caught the '55 NAPA on one of the ads...my favorite underdog of all!
   

I am charged up and ready for a great week. I ate way too much of my Core meatloaf yesterday afternoon, but I stayed within my points limit for the week and I feel energized and ready to fight the fat the way Eli fought his way free of those defensive linemen in the fourth quarter!!!

Society almost demands that we have a schedule for eating, doesn't it? Hubby tends to be pretty regimented with his eating pattern as a result of having to take insulin. He likes to start the day with a good amount of food within minutes of waking up. I start my day a little more slowly on the food front. I get him off to work and have a couple of cups of coffee before I want to face food and that seems to work out for us.

I tend to eat smaller meals more frequently during the day...a little cereal and fruit followed in a couple of hours by a bowl of soup, an egg with vegetables, or cottage cheese. I have vegetables for lunch most of the time in the form of a big salad with a little protein thrown in or soup with a little cheese on top. It is in the afternoon that I "want" food for something other than just hunger. I know it is a time of day when my energy ebbs and I'm looking for a recharge, but the message my brain receives is, "I want comfort!"

I read frequently in blogs that we should not use food to comfort ourselves...PHOOEY!!! One of the nicest things my husband has ever said to me in 38 years of marriage was, that to him, I was like a warm cup of soup on a cold day. This is a guy who ice fishes...he knows cold! I knew just what he meant...and I loved it!

Food has comforted us since we were born and to think we will ever be able to deny that connection is crazy...why would we want to take away something so vital? But there is a need to choose that comfort wisely. I am just as happy with a cup of apricot tea with a spoon of sugar-free vanilla creamer in it in the middle of the afternoon as I ever was the poor choices I was making.

And I don't have to deny myself the warm creaminess of hot cereal on a cold morning, hot chili when it is sleeting outside, or the smell of cinnamon and apples cooking on the stove. I just need to leave the cream off the oats, the high-fat beef out of the chili, and the crust and sugar off the apples. All those things still make me feel good, but they aren't making me fat anymore.

I enjoy a Wasa cracker with a little smear of almond butter every bit as much as I did peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. And pizza made at home on whole wheat pitas smells and tastes as good, if not better, than the pizza I ate on my way to being my heaviest.

Cold watermelon and sugar-free iced tea are just as refreshing as ice cream and Pepsi...maybe more...but they don't leave our bodies fighting with the load of sugar we get in the latter.

We really can continue to have a loving relationship with our food...we just have to make better choices when we are reaching out for that comfort. I will never deny myself the warm and fuzzy feeling that good food at the right moment can give me...I can be healthy and soothed at the same time.

SUPER SUPERBOWL TOFU DIP

The second tofu recipe I've prepared for the month of February Tofu challenge is my version of Heidi Swanson's Baked Artichoke Dip. I decided Superbowl Sunday would be an excellent time to try out a creamy warm dip that could be paired up with something crispy for dipping.

Heidi's recipes are always well thought out and I definitely trust her to suggest a tasty way to serve up tofu, but I did make a few changes, none the less.

First of all, Heidi's recipe made more dip than the two of us can easily eat, so I cut most of the ingredients in half.

Secondly, I decided I wanted to have some chunky bits of artichoke in the dip, so I did not put them in the blender with the other ingredients, choosing to do a rough chop on them instead.

Third, I decided I wanted to add some chopped onion, so I precooked the onion and artichoke in a nonstick skillet, along with some salt and pepper, before adding it to the casserole dish.

To top it all, I added a mere tablespoon of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a tablespoon of sliced almonds to give it a nice crunch on top.

So here is my adaptation of Heidi's original:

MOSTLY CORE BAKED ARTICHOKE DIP

1 14-ounce can water packed artichokes, well drained
1/4 small onion, diced
1/2 cup silken tofu
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup plain non-fat yogurt
Salt & Pepper
1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese for top
1 Tbsp sliced almonds

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray small casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
• Chop artichokes, removing any fibrous bits at the base of the chokes.
• Spray non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Add onions and brown slightly. Add artichokes and cook for a couple of minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste.
• Combine tofu, garlic, cheese, and yogurt along with a little salt and pepper in food processor and process until smooth.
• Place artichoke and onion mixture in bottom of casserole dish. Pour the tofu mixture on top and spread evenly over vegetables.
• Sprinkle an additional tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese over top. Finish with 1 tablespoon sliced almonds.
• Bake until hot and bubbly and top is browned.Serve while hot with pita chips, Wasa crackers, or vegetable strips.

The result was nice and creamy on top with a flavorful layer of vegetables underneath. The almonds added a little crunch for an interesting texture change. The Wasa crackers offered a sturdy base for the dip and maintained their crisp texture.

I would definitely try this again as it was a great alternative to the full-fat recipes that are usually offered at parties.

Did you just see that ad for Daytona just before the half-time show??? VROOM...VROOM!!!

MY FIRST TOFU RECIPE

I did a little grocery shopping this morning and found tofu on sale at our local Meijer supermarket...Yahoo! I love trying new things but I'm also thrifty and hate spending a lot of money on something I may or may not care for. Finding the firm and silken varieties at $2 a box seemed like a reasonable amount to invest on my February experiment.

I already had a bowl of vegetables prepared for a stir-fry after "Friday Clean Out the Fridge Day" yesterday. It had shredded cabbage, sliced onion, carrot sticks, and pea pods in it. We came home cold and hungry so I decided to make a quick pot of Oriental soup with the veggies instead, and decided to add some of the wood ear mushrooms I got with my delivery yesterday and some of the tofu. It was quick, easy, and so good.

ORIENTAL SOUP WITH TOFU

1/2 small head cabbage, shredded finely
1/2 onion, sliced vertically
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into sticks
Pea pods, cut into 1" pieces
Mushrooms, sliced
3 or 4 ounces firm tofu, drained and cubed
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp minced ginger
1/4 tsp white pepper or red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp chicken soup base or chicken bouillon granules
1/4 cup water
2 14-ounce cans chicken broth

Spray bottom of soup pot with non-stick cooking spray. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and carrots; stir frequently and cook until onion is browning and a little limp. Add remaining vegetables, soup base, water and pepper and stir well. Allow to cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add tofu and stir. Add chicken broth and cook additional 10 minutes. You can add a few drops of sesame oil to the top before eating.

BLOOD ORANGE

We also received a few blood oranges with our produce this week. They are so pretty to look at and the juice is pink and a little more tart than normal oranges. I had this one with my soup for lunch today, and used one last night to make the Blood Orange Vinaigrette for our salad with supper. That recipe and one for Honey Dijon Roasted Potatoes are both on my recipe blog which you can reach from the widget on my sidebar. The roasted potatoes were great...the skin was nice and crisp with a honey mustard glaze!

APPLE CRISPS

Remembering the butternut squash crisps I made a few weeks ago, I put these apple slices in the oven yesterday afternoon when I was wanting something different. It is an apple sliced thinly on the horizontal, seeds and all. I lay them out on a rack over a foil covered baking sheet, sprayed them lightly with cooking spray, sprinkled them with a mixture of Splenda, cinnamon, and a little bit of salt, and then baked them for 2o to 25 minutes at 400 degrees until they dried out a little and got a little crispy around the edges. Yum!

That's all...good eating to you this weekend!!!

SUPER BOWL FOOD TIPS

I hope everyone is looking forward to a fun weekend! I mentioned the need to make a plan for Super Bowl celebrations...they can be as treacherous as any holiday gathering! So I've gathered some ideas for food that would be both delicious and fun and have the added benefit of being healthier than some of the chips and dips we're used to.

You could start with Skinny Guy's Core Wingless Hot Wings. Yum! They are nice and spicy but far healthier...and easier to prepare...than wings!

I think everyone would find this Dill Dip from Taste of Home tempting alongside a platter of colorful raw vegetables.

And how good does Heidi Swanson's Baked Artichoke Dip look? Teamed up with some pita chips for dipping...I want some right now! And look! One of the ingredients is TOFU! Yes, this is our first tofu recipe for the month of February.

The taste and aroma of pizza is wonderful and a welcome addition to any celebration, but it can ruin your day if you overeat the cheesy, fatty, thick crust versions. Lots of bloggers make their own whole wheat crust and make it at home so they have control of the ingredients. Noelle actually ground her own flour to make her crust...she's such a great Mama! I have been making ours on split whole wheat pita breads and top them with a thick sauce, lots of vegetables, a little ham for my husband, and just a little shredded mozzarella and a teaspoon of good Parmesan or Romano cheese...they are wonderful and I've saved WPA's for the pita...so no guilt!

Roni has come up with Zucchini Pizza Bites which would be a great alternative to the bread, saving points and also getting in some vegetables...great if you're wanting pizza but are low on points.

And how about letting the kids help make this fun fruit kabob tree...probably designed for the holiday season...but just as pretty and healthy to eat in February! I don't know about you, but I always have to fight the grandkids and Hubby to get a piece of fresh pineapple for myself...they love it!

Bowls of popcorn are always popular. Here's a recipe for Sweet and Hot Seasoned Popcorn which could be lightened up by air-popping the corn and giving it a light spray with olive oil or canola oil non-stick cooking spray before shaking the seasonings over it.